It seems like Putin’s active assault on western democracies is a counter-offensive against the encroachment of pro-democracy forces in the post-Soviet republics.

In particular, the 2013 Moscow protests and Ukraine movement seem like a watershed moment.

It seems like Putin viewed the color revolutions as a Soros backed, western supported incursion into his sphere of influence. He feared the color revolutions would spread into Russia and topple his regime.

In response, he went on the offensive against democracy itself.

Putin’s efforts to discredit democracy and sow domestic discord wouldn’t have gone anywhere if the contradictions and inequality of late capitalism weren’t so sharp.

But it’s kind of incredible how successful his efforts to support right-wing, nationalist populism have been.

Putin decided the best defense against an uprising in Russia was a good offense against democracy itself.

It was an insane gambit that should have gone nowhere.

But the corruption of elites and the failures of neoliberalism made democracies incredibly weak.